Feed Me!

Dear Maria,

Not so cool this morning out back, but the calendar doesn’t lie. Might be confused from time to time, but doesn’t lie. Of course your kids are soon in school, which I still think crazy, and so many of our friends will be standing in front of the classroom as another crop of students is planted in their desks.

Yesterday, I chanced to see the number of kids on free and reduced lunch and—well, at least the number I saw was not yet 20 million. Twenty million. Makes my brain sizzle.

I know you appreciate your blessings and that your children do not want for much, but I know that like most of us that number is beyond our hearts’ capacity to hold onto in any real fashion. I guess some folks will immediately start carping about government corruption and the intrusiveness of Big Guv, but how much fat do they think is there to be cut?

Okay, yes, I would be in pacing mode now. Yes, hands might be in play, too.

I’ll spot those folks 20% and, well, almost 16 million? I wonder who in government wakes up each morning and is completely dedicated to this number just not being so. In a good way. Wonder if there is a congressperson at this day and night. Wonder what Mark Sanford thinks.

Okay, I know this is going to seem a bit random—okay, more than a bit. I wonder if Apple outsources its custodial needs. Or, do they run all of that in-house. Wonder what they pay their custodial crew. Or at Amazon. Or at Google. Or at Microsoft.

Enough. Did get a chance to work out at a young friend’s farm, and the best part was doing manual labor with immediate results. Teaching did not always yield such a quick assessment. Hahaha, that is kind of funny. Of course, I was cutting off limbs, which the last time I checked was never allowed in the district policy’s handbook.

Hungry kids. Millions of them. That sticks to the ribs, and not in a good way.

Hope all is well with you and the family. As always, just, srk